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What's Up, Up Here? News and gossip for June 1-7

Olympic hopeful Josh Cox has a music library of about 55,00 tunes, says he, but before a big race, there is only one: “I’ve listened to U2’s ‘Where Streets Have No Name’ before every race since 1989, the first line is my mantra.” For the curious, “I wanna run, I want to hide/I wanna tear down the walls/That hold me inside/I wanna reach out/And touch the flame/Where the streets have no name.” …

Meanwhile, Deena Kastor is getting into top form for the upcoming Olympic Trials June 21-Juy 1 in Eugene. She was third at Bolder Boulder last Monday in the famous 10k race, covering the 6.2 miles in 33:28.57. She’s got her eye peeled on the 10,000 meters. …

Our Trusty Westside Correspondent reports SFGate.com, the online arm of the San Francisco Chronicle, listed five of the best spots to run in the West, and Mammoth finished with a solid third, behind Coos Bay, Ore., home of the legendary Steve Prefontaine, and Hayward Field in Eugene. Says SFGate blogger Bob Cooper: “Mammoth isn’t just for skiers. Members of the elite Mammoth Lakes Track Club, including two Olympic marathon medalists, do their hardest runs on the “Green Church Run.” Friday and Sunday mornings are when you may be overtaken by an Olympian, but try to keep up at your own risk. …

Who knew? A certain police chief from around here has a son who is a mascot for the L.A. Kings pucksters (Mascots never, ever, ever give up their real names, so’s you know.) …

The first Summer of Stewardship Trail Day event of 2012 is tomorrow, June 2, and Friends of the Inyo, MLTPA, National Forest Service staffers and other rock-huggers will be clearing the trails of the Mammoth Lakes Basin for early summer access. Be there 8:30 a.m. at Pokonobe Lodge for a bagel breakfast, safety talks and work assignments. More info: Friends of the Inyo, (760) 873-6500, Drew at (805) 405-7577 or drew@friendsoftheinyo.org. …

Citing the universal appeal of the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) mascot Sparky the Fire Dog, American Humane Association tapped the famous Dalmatian character to be an official “spokesdog” for the annual American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards on Oct. 6 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in El Lay. …

It almost passed us by, with the emphasis on “almost.” Last Monday, the last of the skiers and riders put the ski and snowboard season in the books with a big party and snowball fight at the top of the mountain. …

In one of the more anticipated individual sports endeavors around here, Jeremy McGhee’s “Drop In” on Bloody Couloir had to be rescheduled for tomorrow, June 2. Nasty weather on the weekend and a slough slide on Monday presented too many problems for the paraplegic skier, who intends to ascend Bloody by wheelchair, and descend by skis. “Thanks for being patient everyone,” he says. “It has been an emotional few days while we re-group.” …

Drop-in expedition leader Colin Farrell says all proper contingency plans are in place for tomorrow’s ascent/descent, and if the weather and mountain won’t cooperate this time, “there’s always next season.”…

The people who know how to fix stuff have resolved all of the water problems at the Convict Lake campground and now it’s open for the season. Saddle up! …

We’ve heard of some terrific athletic feats around here through the years, but an 85-year-old triathlete? That would be Fresno’s Chuck Freuler gearing up for a Bass Lake race. It’s where his triathlon “birth” happened, way back when he was 50 years old. …

Then there are retail feats of derring-do. During last Friday’s weird little snow and windstorm, the Kittredge folk set up their tent sale, not without hassle, then decided to move it back indoors, also not without hassle, and chalked it up as just another day in a morning’s work. …

Auto-advice from David Page: “Toyota’s classic 2F engine: when it starts making catastrophic seizing noises, just add a couple quarts of oil and it quiets right down.” Noted. …

Happy Birthday, all you Geminis, which would include Julia Olinka, Lisa Lamanske-Shade, Aleksandra the Great, Cindy Jacobsen-Brody and Bump Diamond. …

Swell book signing by Wendilyn Grasseschi last Monday at the Booky Joint. Fifty books on hand, 40 gone by the end of the gig. Afterward, she says she “went on, and got out there.” …